Negative effects of vitamins on voles cast doubt on health supplement benefits

Vitamin C and vitamin E dramatically reduce the lifespan of voles, biologists have found, raising questions about the benefits of vitamins as a health supplement. A new paper published in the journal Biology Letters explains the research. The team fed field voles a diet supplemented with high levels of vitamin E or vitamin C from the age of two months in either warm or cold conditions and compared their longevity to groups of voles fed a regular diet. High doses of dietary antioxidants such as vitamins are commonly suggested to slow the process of cellular ageing by lessening the damage to proteins, lipids and DNA caused by free radicals. Previous research conducted by the team had shown that the longevity of mice could be extended by administering particular vitamin supplements, despite the supplements' limited effectiveness in reducing free radical damage. However, the opposite was found to be true in voles. Voles in cold conditions fed supplements of vitamin E or vitamin C lived much shorter on average than those fed a regular diet.